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Badugi is Poker with an unusual twist. Sometimes Badugi is known as rainbow poker but actually Badugi has many various different names and spellings, including Badoogie, Badougi, Padugi, Padookie, Paduki, or Asian Poker. Despite the unusual spellings however, the basic structure of Badugi is similar to other draw poker games. There are three rounds of card drawing and betting. Players are allowed to discard cards and replace them with new ones, and, similar to other lowball poker games, it is the lowest hand which wins the round.
This is a 4 card poker games. Players are dealt four cards to start the game and from here onwards they will do their best to try and create the best hand using just four cards. Players cards remain hidden to other players as in other draw poker games.
The best hand in this game is called a ‘Badugi’ and it refers to the lowest possible hand of four cards where no two numbers or suits are the same. This means that the lowest Badugi hand possible is an ace of spades, one of clubs, 2 of diamonds, and a 3 of hearts. Of course you can get a Badugi hand with the suits and values of that example interchanged, all that matters is that no two cards are the same values or suits. If two players had a Badugi hand at the end of the game then the highest value card of each hand would be compared in order to determine the winner. Whoever has the hand with the lower card is superior.
There are three rounds of card drawing and betting in a game of Badugi. During each round of drawing, players can choose to discard none, some, or all of their four cards in order to try and get the best (lowest) hand.
When the rounds are over, players reveal their cards in order to determine who is the winner. Players may have a Badugi, others may simple have a 3-card hand (for example, the five of diamonds, the seven of clubs, the king of hearts and the king of clubs – this is a 3 card hand as you would have to disregard the king of clubs as it is the same suit and value as other cards in the hand), a 2 card hand, or a 1 card hand. The worst possible hand would be four Kings. A 3 card hand beats a 2 card hand and so on.
Badugi is perfect for the poker player who wants to try something different, who wants a real challenge. It’s got the same familiar structure of more traditional poker games, but the added difference of the rainbow, lowball twist gives it that extra bit of excitement.
